http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Ross-da-Boss/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Ross da Boss en-us Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:12:58 +0000 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:12:58 +0000 So here are my pics from my sixnight break in Tasmania better known down under as Tassie Based in Hobart I sailed to Tasman Island visited the old penitentiary and convict settlement buildings of infamous Port Arthur chilling and v spooky especially the asylum and was uberimpressed by Hobarts surprisingly funky modern art galleries and museums.My only regret was not hiring a car and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/Hobart/blog-368571.html We couldnt help ourselves We had to do it. We had to do something we couldnt possibly do back home at Christmas. So yip. We hired ourselves a motor and disappeared off to beautiful Appollo Bay Victoria for crazy Christmas antics on the beach. Of course before all that we began Christmas day in Melbourne. A whizz in the kitchen Jane prepared a special Christmas breakfast for us. We had delic http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Apollo-Bay/blog-368566.html Inasmuch that not even a technicolour troupe of allsinging alldancing munchkins were enough to keep poor Dorothy from pining for her dear Aunt Em and a way back home I was shocked and am sure youll be astounded to learn that after five months down under in a land affectionately known as Oz enjoying glorious sunshine golden beaches and phenomenal vineyards I involuntarily found myself cl http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/North-Melbourne/blog-363650.html OK here's how it's gonna be short and snappy The ghastly truth is that after Beijing I neglected my paper journal with entries fizzling out about now. It was such a frenzied transit from Shanghai to Saigon and then onto Singapore that my recollection is really rather fuzzy. All I can dredge up is this ittybitty thumbnail overview. Shanghai We sallied forth from Beijing in uber budget fashi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/blog-363644.html It was the great thinker Confucius that said when a friend comes from afar is that not delightful. The people of Beijing really took those words to heart surpassing themselves by showing extraordinary hospitality and offering an unforgettable welcome during the 2008 Olympics. As soon as we alighted from our train at Beijing Railway Station there was a veritable taskforce of Englishspeakin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/Chaoyang-district/blog-363618.html Traversing some 2000 miles overland discovering China was an epical adventure. And yet staggeringly we never left the east coast. Still so much of China to see it's one of those destinations we quickly realised would require multiple return visits.China challenged. Flying in the face of so much of the rest of the world English is not widely spoken. Not that in this I found cause for complaint. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-352700.html It was a short voyage on the hydrofoil ferry from Hong Kong to Macau but avast me hearties the seas were choppy. We had to suffer the sounds of retching passengers for most of the crossing Thankfully Kerry and I had good sea legs. Back on land at Macau Ferry Terminal we passed through immigration and onto tourist information to make enquiries about last minute accommodation deals. We snapped http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Macau/Macau/blog-352692.html I felt a quickening as soon as I stepped off the plane. As magical as our trip to India was it felt great exchanging its myriad intensities for the sane streets and reviving bright lights of Hong Kong. In a strange way it felt a bit like coming home As folks will tell you get me talking about Hong Kong and I'm all handswaving manicstares full of animation for this fun and vibrant city. Her http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Kowloon/blog-352688.html We'd made so many friends in Delhi that when it came to leave it was a crazed mad dash to wish everyone farewell. Alex one of the staff at Asha who had taken such good care of us and had been a real lifeline to us when beset by some of the lows of living in Delhi was someone with whom parting was especially sad we really looking forward to meeting up with her sometime in the future. Another http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-352681.html At about 10000 ft above sea level you do feel quite literally on top of the world in Ladakh. And curiously there's also almost some sort of palpable sense here of being close to the horizon where heaven and earth meet. The air is pure. The location remote. And the snow on the encompassing mountains is dazzling white. This place is a veritable mountain Shangri La. The flight up was very exciting http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Jammu-and-Kashmir/Leh/blog-352390.html We spent a good 5 and a 12 weeks in Delhi. To avoid boring you all to tears I'll forego covering the entire duration of the stay in a blow by blow account. Instead I have given below some of my thoughts on India as a whole and then some impressions of the amazing sights we visited in Delhi and Agra with lots of pics attached for your delectation. I'll cover Ladakh and Mumbai in separate posts. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/National-Capital-Territory/New-Delhi/blog-352377.html The honest truth is that as we made our descent and prepared for landing at Indira Ghandi International Airport my heart made its own small descent into nagging selfdoubt. The sprawling Delhi metropolis below was unnerving. And what lay ahead for us working in the slum colonies was altogether beyond any previous life experience. One guide book had said nothing will fully prepare you for India http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/National-Capital-Territory/New-Delhi/blog-352352.html Seriously....what a place What an amaaaaaaazing phenomenal and exciting place Hong Kong is Bedazzled by its bright lights zapped by its enlivening energy and staggered by the curious amalgam of cultures which Hong Kong gives home to I tell you this place was a real shot in the arm.The flight from Jo'burg to Hong Kong was a looooooong crampinducing 14 hours. It was in fact probably the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Hong-Kong/Kowloon/blog-306170.html I shed a farewell tear for Cape Town I grew very fond of the place and we headed on up the Garden Route. It's a beautiful part of the country. Much enjoyed by backpackers haling from all parts of the globe. We did it in true backpacker style the Baz Bus Fairly comfortable mini bus type vehicle full of studenty gap yearers. And yes that did bring with it some 'mangey' types unannounced vomi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/blog-306008.html So some of you will have received a postcard from me when I was in South Africa raving about shark diving. I have a confession. I didn't dive with Jaws. Now don't go thinking I was too chicken. Time constraints made it quite impossible. I was gutted obviously. Afford me your sympathies please. Anyhoo my thoughts on South Africa. Surprisingly more technicolour vibrant and striving and far mor http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/blog-305983.html OK so this is not strictly travel chat but...While overlanding through Africa one of my favourite things was making full use of the speaker system on board our truck. To the great fortune of all those around me mwahhahaha I was able to hook up my ipod and play my fave happy tunes for all to hear. Here's just a taste. Barry White You're The First The Last My Everything Bee Gees You http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/blog-305965.html Some might say that Swakopmund is more German than Germany. Birgit my travelling friend from Bavaria does not agree. Still there is an incontrovertible German influence here in this old colonial town evident in the architecture and place names. Sandwiched between desert and ocean Swakopmund is Namibian's main seaside resort.No sooner had we arrived than we were hearing from a local tour rep o http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Namibia/blog-287479.html I am convinced that Namibia must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. The landscape is epical the notorious Skeleton Coast the world's oldest desert world class wildlife reserves the world's second largest canyon some of the world's highest sand dunes... A place diverse as it is beautiful. When I last blogged I had just arrived in Windhoek Namibia's capital. After so many nights in http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Namibia/blog-287089.html It's been difficult getting internet access for any decent duration of time so sorry for the delay in blogging I am a whole week behind nowRight where did I get to last time Well I think I mentioned that we would be microlighting over Victoria Falls. If you don't know what microlighting is well you best go google it. I have no idea how such a basic contraption gets airborne. I must admit tha http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Namibia/Windhoek/blog-271544.html The Zambezi and the glorious Victoria Falls are just breathtaking. The Falls themselves are the largest curtain of water in the world and words don't describe just how beautiful they are. The whole area is magical. Everything is so green and lush. Butterflies are in an abundance and it feels altogether otherwordly. Think RivendellGetting here was easy enough. We took the bus from Lusaka to Livi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-269243.html